Ukulele for Young Beginners: Easy Lessons for Kids by Jake Shimabukuro is designed to inspire and excite kids with their first step into a lifetime of making music. The books can be used by families or in a classroom setting. Each chapter includes a video lesson by Jake that’s accessed online where he provides age-appropriate instruction. The full-color book 9-inch by 6-inch book includes simple lessons with fretboard photos and fun supplemental activities to reinforce what the kids are learning from the videos. The songs include optional teacher chord frames so an adult can play along with the student making them sound even more professional. $9.99
The JustinGuitar Easy Guitar Songbook features 101 popular songs that can be played with up to eight open chords. Songs are 
presented in sequential difficulty order in chord/lyric format with lesson tips, chord diagrams, and more. The collection includes top hits, including “Eleanor Rigby” (The Beatles), “Free Fallin’” (Tom Petty), “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (Green Day), “Perfect” (Ed Sheeran), “Shallow” (Lady Gaga), “Zombie” (The Cranberries), and dozens more. $24.99
Pop, R&B and Gospel Drumming: A Guide to Developing Grooves, Improvisation, and Technical Mastery Within Modern Music Styles and Settings by Chris Johnson is a unique “video book” from Hal Leonard. The video is accessed by using the unique code within each book. In the book, Chris gives advice on playing techniques and approaches, and shares experiences of playing in both live performances and studio sessions. The accompanying videos showcase Johnson playing pop hits along with original music and arrangements played by his band as well as bonus material featuring interviews with iconic drummers and other industry professionals. Chapters touch on topics such as technical development, groove development, stylistic/genre awareness, tune memorization, improvisation and soloing, working with backing tracks, life tips for musician, and more. $29.99.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)